And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest,
&c.] Here Zacharias turns himself to his son John, though an infant, and incapable of knowing what was said to him; and for the sake of those that were present, describes his office and work; and says, that he should be "called", that is, that he should "be", and be accounted a "prophet": for he was not only a preacher of Christ and his Gospel, but he also foretold the coming of the Messiah; and the vengeance that should fall on the Jewish nation, for their unfruitfulness, impenitence, and unbelief: and the Prophet "of the Highest"; that is, of God; as the Persic version renders it, of the most high God; and by whom is meant, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose prophet, harbinger, and forerunner John was; and so is a proof of Christ being the supreme, or most high God:
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, to prepare his ways;
as the angel had suggested in ( Luke 1:17 ) and as was prophesied of him in ( Isaiah 11:3 ) ( Malachi 3:1 ) . (See Gill on Matthew 3:3).